[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 67 (Friday, April 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15216-15217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8369]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 25-96]


Foreign-Trade Zone 14--Little Rock, Arkansas; Application for 
Subzone; Mid States Pipe Fabricating, Inc. (Steel Pipe); El Dorado, AR

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Little Rock Port Authority on behalf of the 
Industrial Development Commission of the State of Arkansas, grantee of 
FTZ 14, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the steel pipe 
fabrication facilities of Mid States Pipe Fabricating, Inc. (Mid 
States), located in El Dorado, Arkansas, some 110 miles south of Little 
Rock. The application was submitted pursuant to the provisions of the 
Foreign-Trade Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a-81u), and the 
regulations of the Board (15 CFR part 400). It was formally filed on 
March 25, 1996.
    This application replaces and closes the file on an earlier 
application filed in 1993 and still pending involving a Mid States 
plant in Harlingen, Texas (FTZ Doc. 58-93, filed 11/24/93, 58 FR 63911, 
12/3/93). Mid States closed its Harlingen plant in 1995 and relocated 
the operations to the El Dorado, Arkansas, plant that is the subject of 
this application.
    The Mid States El Dorado facilities consist of two sites within the 
City of El Dorado, Arkansas. The main facility (70,000 sq. ft. on 14 
acres) is located at 1130 East Main Street. The second facility is 
located at 205 Hurley Road (33,000 sq. ft. on 29 acres). The facilities 
(100 employees) are used to fabricate steel and steel alloy pipe (\1/
2\'' to 60'' outer diameter). The pipe is used by the oil refining, 
chemical processing, paper production, power generation, and motor 
vehicle manufacturing industries.

[[Page 15217]]
Foreign-origin materials used in the manufacturing process include: 
iron and steel (alloy or non-alloy including carbon, stainless and 
chrome) pipes, flanges, elbows, fittings, swage nipples and related 
items. (Foreign materials would be admitted in privileged foreign 
status (19 CFR 146.41)).
    Zone procedures would exempt Mid States from Customs duty payments 
on the foreign materials used in export production (20% of output). On 
domestic sales, the company would be able to defer Customs duties until 
finished products are shipped from the plant. The company is also 
seeking an exemption from the Customs duty on scrap and waste that 
results from the production process (3%). The foreign materials and 
finished products held for export would be eligible for an exemption 
from certain state and local ad valorem taxes. The application 
indicates that the savings from zone procedures would help improve the 
plants' international competitiveness.
    In accordance with the Board's regulations, a member of the FTZ 
Staff has been appointed examiner to investigate the application and 
report to the Board.
    Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
(original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the Board's Executive 
Secretary at the address below. The closing period for their receipt is 
June 4, 1996. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted 
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period June 19, 1996.
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:

U.S. Department of Commerce District Office, 425 W. Capitol Avenue, 7th 
Floor, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 
3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: March 28, 1996.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-8369 Filed 4-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P